


Showing Skin

by ticklishraspberries



Category: Dead Poets Society (1989)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Teasing, Tickle Fights, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-17 06:52:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17555471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ticklishraspberries/pseuds/ticklishraspberries
Summary: Neil keeps stretching and it flusters Todd more than he cares to admit.





	Showing Skin

Todd wasn’t sure why it bothered him so much, but his face practically set on fire each time it happened. **  
**

Neil probably wasn’t even aware of it, and Todd didn’t know whether to be grateful or resentful of that fact. But shit, he really didn’t know how much more he could handle.

Neil did not like to sit still. That was practically a given, since he had so much energy all the time. He was always tapping, shaking his leg, fidgeting in some way, shape, or form.

But he especially liked to rock back in his chair, leaning back and stretching his arms above his head. If they were in class, he could only get away with it for a second before he was told to sit properly, and his school shirt was always tucked neatly into his pants. But on their free time, or in the dorm, Neil’s oversized sweaters rode up and exposed a strip of stomach that made Todd’s cheeks flush like crazy.

He couldn’t place his finger on the exact reason it flustered him so much. They shared a room for fuck’s sake, Todd had practically seen him naked before. So why did that little bit of pale skin make goosebumps rise on the back of his neck?

One day, they were in their dorm, and Neil was sitting back on his bed, arms crossed behind his head. That stupid green sweater he always wore was riding up and showing off his stomach, and Neil either didn’t notice or didn’t care.

He couldn’t take it anymore. He reached his hand out and jerked the hem of Neil’s sweater down. “Stop trying to flash me,” he joked, willing the blush on his cheeks to go away.

Neil grinned. “Don’t pretend that you don’t like it,” he teased.

Oh, if only he knew.

Todd rolled his eyes with a smile. “Keep telling yourself that, Perry.”

Another thing about Neil that drove Todd crazy was his ability and fucking determination to turn everything into a game, or a challenge.

And so the next time Todd looked over, Neil’s sweater was back up above his hips.

“Now you’re just doing it on purpose,” he said.

“Doing what on purpose?” Neil asked, blinking brown eyes innocently.

“If you want to show off your skin so bad, go be an underwear model instead of an actor.”

“I’m sure my father would love that,” Neil laughed.

And Todd kind of had to laugh too.

And when he turned around to add another thought, Neil’s sweater had been lifted even higher, sitting in the middle of his rib cage just below his chest. His skin looked soft and Todd really didn’t think he would survive if that sweater was lifted one more inch.

How could someone think nudity was attractive compared to the teasing sight of half-removed clothes?

Todd reached out again, but this time he simply placed a hand on Neil’s stomach, making him jerk.

“Your hands are cold!” he whined, batting at the offending hand uselessly.

“Sorry,” Todd replied, sounding not even a little bit sorry at all. “But, I mean, you might as well warm them up while they’re here.”

“Todd, c’mon-” Neil’s half-hearted plea was cut off by a fit of giggles as Todd’s fingers started wiggling against his skin.

Oh, Todd could write a hundred poems about that sound. He had certainly written one or three or maybe five already, but none of them seemed quite right. As if there were no words in the English language to explain how beautiful a sound it was.

Todd would never act like this in front of the others, but being alone with Neil seemed to bring out a different side of him. The playful, sarcastic, true side of himself.

Neil and his laugh, his smile, his soft skin, his sweaters that rode up when he stretched. Neil, Neil, Neil.

He only continued for another moment before he pulled away, grinning at Neil’s flustered, giggly state as he pulled his sweater down to cover his ticklish skin.

“You’re the worst,” Neil said with absolutely no malice in his voice. Plus, he didn’t look very threatening in the moment, still grinning.

Todd just grinned back.

And it was so worth the revenge Neil got on him later. But every time Neil stretched his arms above his head, Todd couldn’t help but reach over and poke his stomach.

He had a suspicion Neil didn’t really mind.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!  
> Feedback is always appreciated!  
> Tumblr: ticklishraspberries.tumblr.com  
> Please consider donating to my ko-fi which is linked on my tumblr!


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